1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to cutting tools, and more particularly to rotating, fluid lubricated cutting tools.
2. Description of the Related Art
As with many building materials, fibre reinforced concrete (FRC) sheeting and piping is cut using a high speed rotating blade cutter. Spinning at high rpm, the disc has a number of peripheral teeth which steadily remove slices of material as the spinning disc is advanced along a cutting path.
One problem with this method is the high levels of friction and stress at the interface between the teeth and material being cut. The high friction causes very high temperatures and wear rates on the teeth. Consequently, the teeth need to be sharpened regularly; a process that adds cost, increases downtime and ultimately reduces tool life. One method of reducing wear of the tool is to make or coat the teeth with tungsten carbide, ceramic or polycrystalline diamond. While these methods do reduce the wear rate on the tool, the special materials are expensive at the outset and more difficult to overhaul.
Another problem with cutting FRC is that the cellulose fibre in the brittle matrix can be difficult to cut. This is due to the fibre “fluffing up” and creating swarf.
One method used to overcome these problems is to apply a fluid to the material being cut. This reduces temperature, and friction and thus tooth wear, as well as keeping dust generation low. Such fluid application is commonly used when cutting metals concrete and stone however is not readily applied to FRC. This is because FRC will readily absorb any fluid and distort.
It is an object of the preferred embodiments of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate one or more of these disadvantages of prior art, or at least to provide a useful alternative.